Amancio played his first minutes as a Real Madrid player 63 years ago. It was in a European Cup match against Anderlecht at the Santiago Bernabéu (3-3). Amancio shared the front line in that match with other legends of the club, such as Di Stéfano, Gento, and Puskas. The Galician joined the club in the summer of 1962 at the age of 22, after having played for Deportivo de La Coruña.
He made an even more impressive debut in LaLiga as a Madrid player, scoring in the Whites’ 5-2 away win over Betis. This was the start of a legendary career at Real Madrid, where he played 14 seasons and scored 155 goals in 471 games. In all that time, he became a star of world football and as a madridista he won a European Cup (he scored a great goal in the final of La Sexta), nine LaLiga titles, and three Spanish Cups.
Honorary President
After winning as a player, Amancio also formed part of the club as a coach. He coached Castilla and achieved the great historical milestone of the reserve team: becoming champions of the Second Division. He then coached the first team for a season, during which he gave the definitive boost to the group of players that would form the Quinta del Buitre. For his impressive career, Amancio was elected honorary president of Real Madrid on 2 October 2022, a position he held until his death on 21 February 2023.